


Summer Stories

by RuffedLemur



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Don't copy to another site, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, The Tales of Dunk and Egg
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-06-09 12:54:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19476346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RuffedLemur/pseuds/RuffedLemur
Summary: A collection of asoiaf one-shots.Chapter 1: Aerys, Aelora and Lily the Sea Pony (family fluff)





	Summer Stories

**Author's Note:**

> i posted this before, then deleted, now reuploading again  
> thanks again to SaintEpithet for beta!

“May I look at the pretty pictures, uncle?”

Aerys was so engrossed in his work that he hadn’t even noticed when his niece entered the study. _Ah, Aelora… why is she here?_ He had no time for children and their nonsense. _And where is her nurse?_

Aelora climbed on a chair and looked at his cluttered desk with awe.

“Is it a pony? Its tail looks funny,” she chirped, pointing at an open book.

"Listen, ugh, Aelora, I am very busy and… ” Aerys paused. He didn’t know how to talk to children, even his own nieces and nephews. Not that he spend much time around them…

"I love ponies,” declared Aelora, “but I love lions, too. Aelor loves puppies more. He’s boring.”

"Yes, very interesting,” said Aerys. “But where is your nurse? Your mother and father?”

Aelora didn’t grace him with an answer. Instead she started playing with the lace on her sleeves, and Aerys thought she looked guilty. He remembered mother telling him once how she always knew when Rhaegel felt guilty, fidgeting with his clothes gave him away. Aerys sighed. He felt a fool - a grown man, almost intimidated to speak to his five-year-old niece. Why, even the ever grumpy Maekar knew how to handle children.

Aerys decided to try again. This girl, she had probably run away from her nurse, some childish mischief and… and she was reaching towards Renat the Elder’s rare “Bestiary of the Free Cities”.

“No, don’t touch it!”

She shied away and looked up at him, blinking. Even Aerys knew what that meant. Tears.

"Don’t touch these books, please,” he said, this time in a gentler tone. Afterall, she was Rhaegel’s daughter. He could see the resemblance in the eyes, even if Aelora’s were grey, not brown. “These books are very old and fragile.”

Aelora nodded, "I’m sorry. I won’t touch your books, uncle. I promise.”

She spoke solemly, as if she was a knight making an oath.

"Good. You see, I am busy and…”

"What is ‘fragile’? May I look at the pony if I don’t touch?” 

Aerys almost groaned. “Patience… For someone who studies old languages you lack patience,” mother used to warn him.

"Fragile means it can… break easily. It is easy to break. And this…” He squinted at the illustration that had caught Aelora’s interest, "is NOT a pony, but a water basilisk, a mythological creature… animal… Of course, it has little resemblance to ordinary basilisks…”

"Where does she live?” Aelora wondered.

“Well, according to one legend she… it lives in the Sea of Whispers… It is not real, do you understand? Do you know what 'legend’ means?”

Aelora beamed. "A tale! Old Mira always tells us tales, about squishers and giants. Mommy says they aren’t true, but I _love_ them! Can the sea pony eat squishers? They are bad! Aelor is afraid of them.”

Aerys couldn’t help but smile. She indeed reminded him of Rhaegel when he was her age. He always begged father to read the same story again and again, and then pretended to be a giant or a merman, or some fantastical beast of his own imagination. Aelora had the same wonder in her eyes. She asked endless questions, although Aerys couldn’t tell whether she ever listened to his answers. Such a strange child - for some reason she decided that the water basilisk was a “she”.

The nurse found them just when Aelora declared that the basilisk’s name was “Lily” and it could be ridden like a horse. The woman apologized - as it happened, Aelora did run away from her to explore the castle, but Aerys left reprimands to Alys and Rhaegel. He even assured the nurse that his niece wasn’t too much of a distraction. After Aelora waved him goodbye he returned to his studies.

* * *

"It is called _Uncle Aerys and Aelora show Lily the Sea Pony the Bay_ , and Alys and I think this is the sweetest thing in the world,” declared Rhaegel, interrupting his brother’s afternoon rest. Aerys stared at the crude drawing.

"It is… very well done… for her age. Thank your daughter for me…”

"Why don’t you thank her yourself? Aly is asking for more stories. She’s your niece, you know. Not a stranger.”

"I am busy, you know,” huffed Aerys. Rhaegel glared at him. "Very well, I see she is interested in legends… I can find a book suitable for her age…”

"And read it to her!”

_Oh, bother,_ Aerys thought. Rhaegel patted his shoulder.

-end


End file.
